Mighty Max Vs Jason
by Bobbydrake2000
Summary: Max's friends drag him to Crystal Lake for Spring Break, unaware that something evil is under the water. When Jason Voorhees rises once again, so does the Mighty One. The prequel mini-series to a future ongoing.
1. Chapter 1

**Mighty Max #1**

10-year-old Max Madison sat in his treehouse, trying not to cry as his father climbed the rope ladder to talk to his son. The boy had shaggy blonde hair that was in desperate need of a trim as he kept having to push it out of his eyes.

"Max?" Michael Madison asked as he came up and sat down next to the boy. "Please don't be upset, Max. We go through this every time."

"I don't want you to leave!" Max said as he hugged his father. "You said the last time would be it, that you'd never have to go again!"

"I don't want to leave, son, but as an archaeologist, I have to go help unearth the ancient ruins they found in Europe," the man said as he rested his head against his son's hair. "I'll only be gone for three months. In the meantime, you get to stay with Grady's family until I come home. You love staying with Grady, he's like a brother to you."

"What if something happens like a mummy gets you?" Max asked.

"Oh, Max, we've been over this a million times. Monsters aren't real," Micheal said as he pulled an old worn and faded red baseball cap out, placing it on top of his son's head. The strap needed to be adjusted as the hat was far too large for the boy's head. "My father gave me this hat, and his father gave it to him. It's been in our family since your great-great-grandfather went to his first baseball game back in 1931. I believe it's time that I passed this on to you."

"Aw, Dad, I don't even like baseball," Max told him.

"I know, son, neither do I, but that hat is a family heirloom," Micheal told him. "And it might just bring you luck. The men in our family believed that this hat has a special power that differs from generation to generation. Your great-great-grandfather thought it was lucky, your great-grandpa thought it made him psychic, and my Dad thought it was the reason behind his building a fortune."

"And what about you, Dad?"

"It brought me the greatest gift of all," Micheal told him. "You. Now you have to find out what special gift this hat is going to bring to you."

"Maybe my gift will be you coming back early," Max told him. "So that we never have to be apart again."

Micheal just kissed Max's forehead as he stood up. "You never know, son. That hat might just surprise you. Now come on, I'll drop off at Grady's house before I head to the airport. And in three months, if all goes well, I'll never have to leave you again.

* * *

**Seven Years Later**

The shelf of Max's basement bedroom had several trophies and medals on display, all for swimming. Max had grown to have a swimmer's body that he carefully took care of despite having quit the sport three years earlier, although his hair was still in desperate need of a trim. On his head sat the old faded red ballcap his father had given him. Unless Max was bathing or sleeping, the hat never left his head. As Max did shirtless pull-ups in the doorway to his personal bathroom, a young man with shortcut black hair and high school football player's physique knocked on the door.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? We're leaving at 5 in the morning," Max's adoptive brother Grady told him. "I want to make it to the cabin early so we can enjoy the first day. We'll start out early, pick up the others and make it to the cabin by 10. Just think of it, bro. No school, no parents, no teachers, just parties, swimming, and beautiful wom- Oh, right, sorry. I'm sure we can find you a-."

Max dropped to the floor and grabbed a white t-shirt to put on after briefly removing the old red ballcap. "I don't know if I should go. I feel like a fifth wheel."

"Hey, I'm not going on Spring Break without my brother," Grady told him. "You and I are a team, okay? This is our first Spring Break away from home and we're going to have fun, alright? Get ready, 'cause we leave first thing in the morning."

Max opened his eyes, finding himself underwater. No matter how hard he tried to swim up, he couldn't break the surface, finding an invisible plating blocking him. As he looked up, he saw Grady among several other people staring down at him. Max pounded on the plating, trying to scream for help as only bubbles flowed out of his mouth. His air would only last a few more precious seconds and yet no one above was trying to help him.

"Stop playing around, Max," Grady told him. "Come out of there already."

As Max pounded harder on the plating, he saw the water around him turning red. He felt his forehead, finding the blood was coming from him. He soon realized that something had ahold of his foot and was pulling him down.

Max struggled, screaming in silence as he tried to pull away, but whatever had him was far too strong. The images of the people above water got smaller and blurrier as Max was pulled down below.

Max sat up in his own bed, covered in sweat as he breathed heavily. Looking around to see he was in his bedroom, he ran a hand through his hair as he closed his eyes and tried to calm down. Looking over at his alarm clock, he saw it was 4 in the morning.

* * *

A young couple was making out on the front steps of the porch while a young brunette woman watched.

"Tell me you two aren't going to spend the whole week humping each other," Beverly asked. "At least wait until we get to the cabin."

A blonde teenage boy pulled away just enough to smirk at her. Joe was a bit rough around the edges thanks to coming from a broken home where he'd been routinely beaten most of his life but was still a decent guy when it came down to it. Fortunately, he'd fallen in with a group of friends who still cared about him despite the walls he'd built up around himself. "We do not 'hump', we are merely showing our affection for each other."

The raven-haired girl smiled as she faced Beverly. Becka had been a shy girl until she met Joe, whom Grady and Beverly believed brought out the best in each other for better or worse. "When's the last time your man showed you he cared?"

"Grady cares," Beverly told her. "In fact, the cabin might be where we finally... show our love for each other for the first time."

"You mean you've never seen Grady's junk?" Joe asked. "You've never even so much as given him a handy-J?"

"Unlike some people, we wanted to wait before we got into that level of... stuff. " Beverly told her. "I love that Grady respects me enough to not push me into something I'm not ready for."

"Or maybe Grady's gay," Joe told her as he went back to kissing Becka. "He does spend an awful lot of time with Max."

"Grady is not gay, and Max is his brother," Beverly said defensively as Grady's old dinosaur of a car pulled into the driveway. It had been the only car Grady could afford and looked like it could fall to pieces at any moment. "You'll see this weekend, he won't be able to keep his hands off of me once we're at the lake."

"Who's ready to party!" Grady shouted as he climbed halfway out of the driver's side window. "Toss your shit into the back and let's roll!"

"Hey, Max," Beverly said as Max climbed into the backseat so Grady could be next to his girl. "Still flying solo? We'll get you a girlfriend yet."

Max just remained silent as he fell onto the seat.

"Shove over, Maxi-pad," Joe said as he climbed in, followed by Becka. The door had barely closed and the two were all over each other again.

"Hey, don't get any stains on my backseat, and this time your clothes stay on. I don't want to get pulled over for indecent exposure again," Grady said as he watched Joe and Becka in the rearview mirror. "Next stop, Higgins Haven!

* * *

"Alright, gang, it was a long trip, but we made it," Grady said as he pulled the car down the small dusty road into the small town of Higgins Haven. It wasn't a large town, but there were several businesses such as a hardware store, a general store and a farmer's market."Let's hit the general store before we get to the cabin, maybe get to know some of the locals."

"Don't forget the beer," Joe said as he looked around the backseat for his shirt. He'd taken it off after his makeout session as the backseat windows wouldn't roll down. "Anyone see my shirt? Fuck it, it's not like I'll need it once we get to the lake house. "

"I was trying not to look at anything you two were doing," Max told him. "I'm sorry I forgot my earbuds for my phone, you two made sounds I'll never get out of my head."

"We're making good time," Grady said as he got out of the car and stretched. "We'll head straight to the cabin after this, maybe we can go for a swim in the huge lake out back."

"I didn't pack a swimsuit," Max told him.

"I knew you wouldn't, so I packed one for you," Grady smirked as they headed up the street.

The group found the general store and walked in, where the customers inside immediately stopped what they were doing to stare at the strangers.

"I take it they didn't get the personalized e-mail that we were coming," Max whispered as the teens started gathering food. Grady headed to the back of the store to grab some beer as Joe and Becka started picking out snacks.

"Hey, don't eyeball my girl," Joe said as he saw an older man staring at Becka.

"I think he's eyeballing you," Beverly told him. "Really should have put your shirt back on."

As Grady pulled some six-packs out of the cooler, he closed the door to find a man staring at him. Grady nearly dropped the beer as he backed up.

"Jesus, you nearly scared me to death," Grady told him. "You don't get many out-of-towners, do you?"

An old woman came from out of nowhere as Max headed toward Grady. She grabbed his arm and held on tight.

"You," the old woman said as she looked up at his hat, sensing something dark and mystical about it. "You'll bring death to us all. Get out of town now, before you bring him!"

"I'm sorry about Joe, okay?" Max asked. "We'll make him put on a shirt."

"I sense a great power from you," the old woman told him. "One that will destroy everything you love. Leave this town before it's too late."

Max pulled away from the old woman, finding her fingernails had cut into his arm, causing it to bleed.

"Great vacation spot, Grady," Max told him as he grabbed a box of bandages from the shelf. "What, couldn't book the place from the movie 'Hostel'?"

"Hey, I didn't know the people here were dicks, alright?" Grady asked as the group carried their supplies back to the car as the people watched them leave. "Let's just get the cabin, the caretaker's waiting for us."

"There's a caretaker?" Max asked.

"My aunt and uncle hired him to watch after the place for upkeep during the year. I only met him once, but he's a nice guy," Grady said. "The lake house is my aunt and uncle's summer home. They said if we don't trash the place that we can start using it for school breaks, maybe even come back during the summer when they take their annual trip to Florida."

"I just hope this guy isn't some old fuddy-duddy," Becka said as the car started pulling out of the town while Joe flipped off the people who were watching. "The last thing we need is some old grouch telling us to keep our feet off the furniture."

"Yeah, our feet," Joe smirked as he pulled Becka into a kiss. "We're going to do it in every room of the house."

"Ugh," Max said as he stared out of the window. "Maybe we should have picked up some bleach back at the store, probably going to need it to sterilize the place before we leave."

* * *

Soon the car pulled up to the large lake house which sat near a barn. They spotted a man in his early twenties doing chores around the property. He had on a flannel shirt and jeans, work gloves and a cowboy hat hiding his reddish-blonde hair. The man smiled as he spotted the car coming to a stop.

"You must be Will," Grady said as he got out of the car. "I'm Grady, this is Joe, Bev, Becka, and Max."

"Howdy," Will smiled as he tipped his hat. "Nice to see people around my own age coming out here again. It's been a while."

"Come to think of it, I didn't see any kids in the town," Max realized. "That's kind of weird."

"Town's superstitious, thinks too many kids around brings trouble," Will told them. "Let me show you around the place."

"So, Will, do you live around here?" Max asked as he kept pace alongside the caretaker with the others not too far behind.

"I live in the guest house," Will told him as he pointed at a house not too far away. "Grady's aunt and uncle got it cheap, said I could live there rent-free in exchange for keeping up the property for them. The land around here's been dirt-cheap in recent years with everyone steering clear of the place."

"Yeah, because of the legends and rumors," Grady said. "Something about a serial killer haunting the place."

"Grady, did you seriously bring us to a killer's playground?" Beverly asked.

"Not cool, bro," Joe told him. "That's going to kill the mood for us," Joe then leaned in to whisper in Becka's ear. "Not really, I'm still horny."

"They're just rumors," Grady told him. "No one really died here."

"Wrong, over 70 people were killed over a decade," Will told them. "The killings stopped suddenly one summer, but they could always start up again anytime."

"And that's our cue to leave," Becka said as she grabbed Joe's hand. "If we'd known people died here-"

"Relax, babe, I'll protect you," Joe promised her as he put an arm around her shoulder. "No one's going to hurt you."

"A good chunk of the murders actually happened in the house you're staying in," Will said as he took Max aside. "I wouldn't tell your friends, though."

"Oh, good, stick me with the secret," Max said to him. "Always wanted to have nightmares in an isolated cabin."

"I told you because you seem like the strongest one of this group," Will said. "I can't put my finger on it, but there's something... special about you."

"It's the hat," Max blushed. "Supposed to have some kind of weird power or something to bring me luck. Do you want to hang out with us tonight? We got plenty of beer."

"It's alright, I don't want to horn in on your guy's party," Will said. "But feel free to drop by my place if you need anything at all, that's what I'm here for."

* * *

Everyone had changed into their swimsuits as they headed to the dock for an afternoon swim. Max had been the only one to wear a shirt as he headed down with them. He'd put on a baggy pair of jean shorts instead of the pair of trunks Grady had brought for him.

"You're not wearing that into the water, are you?" Grady asked as they watched Joe and Becka jump into the water.

"I think I'll just watch you guys have fun," Max told them. "Don't want to get my hat wet."

"Then take it off," Grady told him. "Max, I barely see you without that hat. It won't kill you to take it off and take a swim with us. You were on the school swim team for two years, show us some of your old moves."

"I don't think so. " Max said nervously as he rubbed his arm.

"I think he's still shaken up by the old woman at the general store," Grady told her. "It's okay, Max, come in when you feel like you're ready."

Grady and Beverly jumped into the water as Max sat down on the dock, putting his feet into the water while he leaned back. He turned his head to see Will up toward the house, cutting the grass. Max couldn't help but notice how sad he looked as he pushed the mower. It reminded him of how withdrawn he was after his father had died.

Out in the water, the others were splashing in the water as they swam out a little further.

"Hey, check it out, the summer camp my parents told me about," Grady pointed out. "I heard they're re-opening in the summer."

"Isn't that place supposed to be haunted?" Beverly asked.

"Supposedly this whole town is haunted," Grady told her. "I don't believe a word of it, though. Nothing bad could happen in a beautiful place like this. Will was just feeding us shit, no one died. Just the help trying to scare us, nothing more."

As they got out far enough, Joe's foot hit something in the water.

"What the hell?" Joe asked as he ducked under the water to see what was under the water, but it was too murky to see clearly. If the water had been clearer, he'd have seen a dead body that had been chained under the water. He came back up to the surface as Grady saw him.

"Everything okay, bro?"

"Yeah, I just thought there was something there," Joe told him as a light rain started. "Aw, man."

"Relax, babe, it's just a little rain," Becka said as she put her arms around him, giving him a kiss. "Nothing to worry about."

It was then that thunder was heard in the distance.

"Shit," Grady said. "Thunderstorm's rolling in. Better get out of the water before the lightning comes. We still have a whole week to swim in the lake, let's go."

* * *

By the time it had gotten dark, the light rain had formed into a full-blown thunderstorm with heavy wind. Luckily, the friends had chosen to ignore the storm to focus on having a good time indoors. The music was blaring as the teens had started drinking and playing party games. It wasn't too long before Joe had revealed he had brought along his secret weed stash and had been willing to share it with his friends.

"This is nice," Beverly said as she leaned her head on Grady's shoulder while they sat on the couch. Everyone but Max had taken part in the joint sharing, so now the group was nice and stoned. "No one telling us what to do, no curfews, no rules."

"I told you this was going to be a fun trip," Grady told her as a bolt of lightning caused the lights to flicker. As Max sat in the bay window, looking over at Will's house, he saw the lights had completely gone out. "Maybe we should get some flashlights ready, just in case."

"I'm going to check on Will," Max said as he stood up. "His lights didn't come back on, maybe I'll see if he wants to crash here for the night. No one should be alone in this storm."

"Aw, Max, that guy seems like such a drag!" Joe said. "He'll probably lecture us about the evils of marijuana."

"He's in a house with no power," Max said. "I just want to make sure he's okay."

"Fine, just be careful, the rain's really coming down hard out there," Grady said. "Don't be gone too long, okay? I don't want to have to worry about you."

Max put on a raincoat, grabbed a spare flashlight and headed out just as Joe smiled at Becka. "Well, the kids are gone, maybe it's time for the adults to play."

"Take that shit upstairs if you're going to do that," Grady told him. "And keep the moaning down, these walls are really thin."

Joe took Becka's hand as they headed upstairs.

"It's sweet how you look after your brother," Beverly said as she held Grady's hand. "Even though he's old enough to take care of himself."

"We've watched out for each other since we were kids," Grady told her. "He saved my life when I was 8. My basketball rolled out into the street, and I didn't pay attention to traffic. Max pushed me out of the way and got hit. Broke his legs, arms, and a few ribs. I spent six months in the hospital recovering. I swore that I'd never let anything hurt him again."

Beverly rested his head on her shoulder as she stroked his arm.

"I know you wanted to do... stuff tonight," Grady said. "We could still-"

"Not tonight," Beverly told him, loving this side of Grady that was so open with her. "Let's just sit here and enjoy the peace."

* * *

Max knocked on the door to Will's place as the rain really pounded down on him. Will soon answered with the living room behind him in total darkness except for a flickering red glow.

"Saw your power went out," Max said. "Did you want to come over to our place until it comes back on?"

"It's okay," Will said. "It's just a fuse, I'll have to get some from the hardware store tomorrow."

"So you're just going to sit in a big, empty house all night?"

"I've got a fire going in the fireplace," Will said as he pulled Max in. "Jesus, you're going to catch cold standing out there. Stay here and warm yourself up, I have home-made cocoa if you want some. I have camping supplies for power outage emergencies, they come in handy at times like this."

Back at the house, Joe and Becka had barely reached their bedroom before they started pulling their clothes off to have sex. As each bit of clothing hit the floor, the louder the thunder rumbling outside because. As Joe got Becka onto the bed, a white flash came from outside.

Joe reached for a condom from the nightstand as the loudest clap of thunder yet came. The second Joe began making love to his girlfriend, a loud lightning strike hit the lake outside, striking the corpse beneath the water.

While the two continued enjoying each other's company, making love in the darkness, the dead body under the lake started twitching his fingers. Seconds later, the corpse's eyes bolted open and the disfigured corpse once again came back to life.

Max's shoes and socks were drying by the fire as he sat on the couch, sipping a cup of hot chocolate. He had a blanket over his shoulders as Will stood over the fireplace, using the poker on the firelog.

"This is pretty good," Max said. "I don't think I've ever had coco this good. What's your secret? And don't say love."

"I use real chocolate and milk, not that store-bought stuff," Will told him as he stoked the fire as he tried to find the words. "Thanks for coming to check on me."

"Why don't you come back over with me?" Max asked. "You don't have to be alone."

Will stared into the fire. "All I've ever been is alone. My Dad died just after I was conceived and they took me away from my Mom as soon as I was born. The grief I guess was just too much for her, so she made up this story about a demon trying to take over my soul while I was in the womb. She died a few years later, they never caught the killer. I was bounced from foster home to foster home, never staying in one place for too long, never getting the chance to make friends. Finally ended up in Higgins Haven, but there were never too many kids here. Grady's aunt and uncle took me in when I was 16 after my foster parents split, but I don't think they ever saw me as anything more than free labor. And this is where I've been for the last six years, making sure this place keeps running. Only people I ever see are in town when I make supply runs."

"So you've never had a friend?" Max asked.

"What was the point?" Will asked. "It's not like anyone would ever stick around anyway. Hell, you and your friends are just here for the week, then you're back to living your own lives."

Max stared down into his cup and sighed. "Ever thought about changing locales? Doing your own thing for a change? if you could have anything in the world, what would it be?"

"A friend," Will said as he stared into the fire. "One that would never give up on me, never abandon me, no matter how far apart we were. I just want someone who cares."

* * *

Under the lake, the corpse, now fully revived, started breaking the chains that kept him bound under the water...

* * *

Back in town, the old woman felt a chill run down her spine.

"He rises. It's about to start again."

* * *

"It's getting late, you should probably-" Will started to say as he returned from the kitchen to find Max sound asleep on the couch. WIll just smirked as he lifted Max's legs to put them on the couch before draping a blanket over him. "Good night, Max."

Will noticed Max's cap and gently ran his fingers over the faded material. "Why does it feel like the hat's on fire? And why doesn't Max feel it?"

* * *

Joe and Becka fell back onto the bed, exhausted.

"It just gets better every time we do it," Joe smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Becka as she kissed him. "This is going to be the best week ever. Nothing bad can possibly go wrong as long as I have you."

* * *

On the other side of the lake, a figure slowly started rising up out of the water. He wore a blue jumpsuit and black gloves, and his right hand felt like it was badly in need of a weapon. Sharp or blunt, as long as it got the job done. The corpse's face was horribly disfigured and in need of a mask to disguise it, something he knew he could get in the town not too far away.

Jason Voorhees was back, and he had a lot of killing to make up for.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	2. Chapter 2

Early morning in Higgins Haven had been quiet as usual, especially on a Sunday morning. The small town usually had early mass, followed by the local businesses opening as usual within a few hours. At the local hardware store, the owner had come in early for inventory, not realizing that he wasn't alone.

A tall figure that had just made his way from Camp Crystal Lake had broken in to do a little early morning shopping. He'd been away for a while, and the intruder knew there would be a new generation of sex-crazed teenagers to murder, but first he needed to get back in the groove by murdering a few of the locals.

As Michael Swayze counted the merchandise, he didn't hear the intruder skulking around the backroom. The intruder would have felt like a kid in a candy store looking at all the deadly toys if he were able to feel anything at all. Unfortunately for Swayze, the intruder was Jason Voorhees, the unfeeling, undead killing machine. And without a mask currently, Jason looked even deadlier and grotesque than usual.

Jason ran his hand along the racks until he found a shelf of saw blades...

Swayze had just finished counting the hammers and screwdrivers and was now headed on to count the power tools. As he turned around, a sawblade whipped through the air, removing the left hand carrying a clipboard. The man screamed as he looked at the bloody stump where his hand used to be, just as another sawblade cut through his leg, sending him to the ground, just as a third sawblade flew right into his forehead, cutting deep into his skull. The man's dead body fell to the floor as Jason noticed a hockey mask sitting in a half-off bin of unsold Halloween merchandise...

* * *

Max found himself underwater again, struggling to break through the surface, not being able to reach it, no matter how much he struggled. He could feel the water filling his lungs as he tried to escape, but couldn't fight against threw water pulling him down. As he was ready to give up, Max saw a door near him, as if it were a bright light.

Having no other option, Max swam for the door, opening it and falling out, spitting out water as he got to his knees. As he slowly stood up, he realized that he was standing in a diner he'd never been to before.

"MAX! Hey, buddy!" a teenage boy shouted. "Get your ass over here, you have got to try this apple pie!"

The boy had dark blonde hair with heavy bags under his eyes from not sleeping very well. Max slowly approached him, water dripping with each step he took. That's when Max noticed that no one in the diner even took notice of him, as if he were invisible.

"It's my first time here, too. You're kind of all the way across the country and I can't hold this connection too long, so let's cut to the chase," the boy said. "I know you're spooked right now, but trust me, I'm a friend."

"Where did you come from?" Max asked as he tried to move out of the booth, realizing the floor beneath his feet was cold. He looked down, seeing his shoes and socks were gone, as he'd taken them off to dry next to the fire the night before. But if they were at the cabin, how did he get to the city? What the hell is going on?"

"It's going to be okay, Max," the boy told him. "You just haven't figured out what you can do yet. Just remember to keep calm and focus on where you to want to go."

"Who are you? How did I get... where the hell am I?"

"Like I said, I'm a friend, one you're going to meet real soon," the boy told him. "Just remember that you can do this. It's going to get rough, and a lot of people are probably going to die, you just gotta be brave. We all had to be brave before he brought us together. Face your fear, Max, it's the only way to beat him."

"Beat who?" Max asked.

The boy just smiled as Max woke up on the couch at Will's house in Higgins Haven.

"Are you okay, Max?" Will asked as headed to the door to put on his boots. "I know the couch isn't the comfiest thing in the world, but-"

"I fell asleep!?" Max shouted as he jumped up. "I have to get back to the lake house before Grady-"

"Relax, he was here a few hours ago to make sure you were okay, but neither of us wanted to wake you," Will told him. "You're lucky to have a brother that cares for you."

"Yeah," Max said "I guess I am. I guess I should get going, you probably have stuff to do."

"Actually, I was going to head into town to get those fuses," Will told him. "Do you want to... come with me? Maybe grab some breakfast along the way?"

"I can't, I need to get home, get cleaned up, get a change of clothes," Max told him.

"Use my bathroom, grab a shower, I'll loan you some clothes to wear," Will said with a smile. "Besides, Grady smelled like weed and beer, your friends are probably sleeping off their high. We'll be back before they're sobered up."

* * *

The old woman who'd warned Max to leave town the previous day, searched the kitchen for the sharpest knife she could find to defend herself. She knew Jason was coming back, and he was coming to kill everyone he came across.

As the woman turned around, she saw Jason standing in the doorway, a fresh machete in his hand that he'd just recently picked up from the hardware store.

"I've stayed in this town since the last time we met," she told him. "Just so I could put you down again the next time you came back. This is where you die, Jason Voorhees."

Jason just tilted his head as if he had been trying to remember who she was among his vast list of victims. He marched forward as the woman held her knife toward him, ready to defend herself, but he grabbed her arm before she could attack, twisting it with a sickening crunch. Before she could scream, Jason reached into her mouth, pulling her entire jaw off with ease.

* * *

Will's old pick-up truck pulled into the dusty road of Higgins Haven, parking outside of the hardware store. The truck was a relic and barely holding together, but it was Will's first vehicle and something he cherished since he'd earned it on his own.

"I'll just run in and grab the fuses, then we can head back," Will told him as he got out of the truck and headed to the door, finding it locked with the 'closed' sign hanging in the window. "That's odd, the store's supposed to open at 10. It's 10:45."

Max got out of the truck, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jean shorts. The t-shirt had a large 'M' printed on it, a printing error that would have been a 'W' for 'Will' if it'd come out right. Max peeked into the window, not seeing anything but darkened lights.

"Maybe he got into the holy spirit and he's still at the church?" Max asked.

"Nah, the preacher has to get home early to take bets on the game," Will told him. "Church would have let out by 9. Maybe he's just out back getting a smoke."

"Town usually this quiet on a Sunday morning?" Max asked.

"A lot of people have moved away over the years because of the killings," WIll said. "Those that stay are too set in their ways to pick and move on."

"Like you?" Max asked.

"I couldn't help but notice your brother and shirtless buddy came with dates," Will countered. "How come you didn't bring a girl?"

Max went on ahead and tried the backdoor. "I wanted to come alone. I'm not really a dater, I keep to myself."

"A handsome guy like you?" Will asked. "You probably have your pick of the ladies."

"Can we talk about something besides my lack of a love life, please?" Max asked defensively.

"... Sorry," Will told him as he turned his head away. "Didn't know it was a sensitive subject."

"Yeah, well, it is," Max told him bitterly as he walked past Will. "I don't think the guy's here. We might have fuses at the house you can have. Let's just... go back, I'm ready to get back to the lake house where I can hole up for the rest of the week with a few books."

"Max, wait," Will told him as he followed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, okay? Can we just... start over? You're the first person I've had a decent conversation with since... ever. I don't want to end a friendship because i said something stupid."

Max stopped by turning around before barely whispering. "I don't like to talk about it. There are... things wrong with me, let's just leave it at that."

"Okay," Will told him. "I didn't mean to pry. I just really like you. I don't think there's anything wrong you, and if you think there is... you can talk to me whenever you want. I won't judge, I promise. You ever want to unload, I'll listen."

"Thanks," Max said as he sniffled a little bit. "You promised me breakfast."

"There's a pancake house up the street," Will smiled. "We can walk there."

As the two walked off, Jason stood across the street, dragging a freshly murdered victim's body behind him as he noticed the two young men. Teenagers often traveled in packs, they'd lead him to fresh kills...

* * *

**Los Angeles**

"You're sure he's at Camp Crystal Lake?"

"Yeah, I saw the sign when I was looking through his dreams to find the guy."

"We need to get there now. Nothing good ever comes out of that place, especially if he's awake."

"What about the kid we came to L.A. for?"

"The others can find him and catch up with us after. We're going to get Max. The sooner we get him, the faster we can end this war."

* * *

"Here you go, fresh fuses that I found in the kitchen drawer," Joe said as he tossed them to Will a short while later. "Kind of surprised the handyman didn't already have spares laying around his house."

"Yeah, well power outages don't happen that often," Will told him. "You guys enjoying your vacation?"

"You have no idea," Joe said as he watched Becka outside in a bikini top. "This is the greatest spring break ever."

"Thanks for taking care of Max," Grady told Will. "I'm glad he had someone watching out for him."

"Watching out for him? He fell asleep on the couch, it's not like we were out partying," Will said. "Grady, I think you might be a little... overprotective of Max. He's 17, he needs to start getting out into the world more."

"You don't know Max like I do," Grady told him. "He used to be more outgoing and adventurous. Wanted to be an archaeologist like his old man, was willing to take any risk or do whatever he had to get a job done. But then a few years ago, something happened. He was captain of the swim team, took them to state. But the diving board was slippery and Max fell, hit his head on the day down, and knocked himself out. By the time they pulled him out of the water, he'd been under for two minutes and his head was bleeding. He nearly died. Hasn't gone back into the water since. He's been scared of the water ever since."

Will just sighed as he looked out the window, watching Max sitting on the dock as he read a book. A few minutes later, Joe walked up behind him.

"Get your ass up, Max, we're going for a hike."

* * *

Becka found Beverly in the basement, practicing kickboxing.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Beverly asked. "I'm on vacation, but I still have to stay in shape. I'm head cheerleader for nothing. You want to try?"

"What the hell?" Becka asked as she walked up to her friend.

"Okay, just do as I do," Beverly told her as she did a jump kick. Becka tried, but fell on her butt and started laughing.

"We'll work on it," Becka told her. "Trust me, soon you'll be able to kick anyone's ass who tries to mess with you."

"Is this where you're finally going to make good on that promise to beat me up that you made in 7th grade?" Max asked as they further up the trail.

"I think you're doing a pretty good job of that yourself," Joe told him. "This whole trip's been for you, you selfish asshole."

"Come again?"

"Grady thought that if we got you up here to unwind, you might start to get back to the guy we used to know," Joe told him. "I'm sorry about your accident, and I'm sorry you lost your dad, but Grady really cares about you, and I care about Grady, he's my best friend."

"This isn't just about the accident," Max told him. "I keep having these... dreams that I'm drowning, and they feel so real. And each time all of you are standing there, but I can't get above water to reach you."

"So, what, you're scared of a few daydreams?"

"I think it means that I'm going to lose all of you," Max told him. "That I'm going to end up all alone. It's like I'm going to drown without my friends."

"Max, I'm not your biggest fan, but none of us are going anywhere," Joe said as he put a hand on Max's shoulder. "Ignore these stupid dreams and focus on what's real, like the rest of us. Get your balls back and go for a swim. See you back at the house."

Joe walked away as Max just stared at the trail ahead.

* * *

Jason stood at the edge of the woods, staring at the lake house not too far ahead. In it stood the victims who deserved to be punished by his hand...

* * *

While Joe and Becka were swimming, Grady and Beverly sat on the porch swing, enjoying each other's company. Out back, Will was teaching Max how to swing an ax to chop firewood.

"Okay, now put all your strength into the swing," Will said as he stood behind Max. "Aim for the center of the block."

The ax came down, barely chipping the block of wood.

"It's alright, that was a good swing," Will said as he took the ax. He took his position and brought the ax down, splitting the piece of wood evenly. "It takes practice to get the hang of it."

"This should be simple for me, I work out twice a day," Max told him. "I mean, not with an ax, but I do lift weights."

"I can tell," Will said with a smirk. "Well, from your arms anyway. I take it you don't take your shirt off much."

"Only when I'm alone," Max said. "I haven't been shirtless in public since I was on the swim team."

"Grady mentioned something about that," Will said as he put the ax down. "Is that why you won't go swimming in the lake?"

Max just lowered his head as he looked away. "Do you know what it's like to almost drown? For the water to have such a death grip on you that you can't fight, you can't struggle, hell, you can't even breathe? I lost all control during those minutes. I hate not being in control of my own body. I swore that after that I'd never be in that situation again. I can't."

"So, what, you're just going to avoid large bodies of water for the rest of your life?"

"It's not impossible," Max said confidently. "I've managed to do it for three years."

"Sure," Will said as he started unbuttoning his shirt. "Whatever works for you."

"What are you doing?" Max asked.

"Going swimming," Will said as he kicked off his boots. "It's hot and I've been working since we got back. I'm going to take a little break. You're free to join me."

Undoing his pants, Will tossed them away as he ran toward the water before jumping in. Max walked toward the edge of the water, just watching Will swim out some.

"Come on, Max! It feels great out here!"

Max scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably as he just turned to walk back towards the house, passing Grady and Beverly as he went.

"I think Will almost had him out there," Grady said. "I thought getting Max out here with us would work."

"It'll happen, just give him time," Beverly told him. "We still have time for him to come around."

Another light rain started as Grady put an arm around her shoulder. "Enough about Max for today. Let's talk about us. I think I'm ready for... you know."

"Seriously?" Beverly asked.

"Yeah, I mean, if you are."

"Tonight sounds perfect," Beverly said as they kissed. "I've been waiting for this for a while."

"I just wanted to wait for the right moment," Grady told her. "The lake house sounded perfect. Nothing can ruin this night for us."

* * *

Max sat on his bed, tears streaming from his eyes as he held the old faded ball cap in his hand.

"Max?" Will asked as he knocked on the door, having put his pants back on with his shirt still unbuttoned. He had his boots in his arms as he sighed. "I'm sorry if I-"

"I'm a coward, okay?" Max asked with a laugh. "I'm just a big fucking coward. I'm scared of swimming, I'm scared of talking with people about my problems, and I'm scared of... my feelings for you."

"What?" Will asked as he sat down on the bed. "Max, are you-?"

"I don't know, I've been confused for a while," Max said. "And like everything else, I'm just too scared to face it. I don't know who I am, or what I'm supposed to do. The only thing I really know is that I'm tired of being scared."

Will put an arm around his shoulder to comfort Max. "It's okay, Max, I was... confused once, too. Honestly, I kind of have feelings for you, too."

Max just raised his head and stared at Will before the two started to share a gentle kiss. As soon as their lips touched, all of the stress and self-hatred he'd been feeling for the last few years stopped. All Max could feel was calm and peace for the first time. As they held their lips to each other, the hat in Max's hand started glowing as the faded cap started getting a full red color to it.

* * *

As the rain pounded harder, Joe held Becka's hand as the two rushed into the old barn, laughing as they got out of the rain. As they got inside, Joe pulled Becka into a deep and passionate kiss.

"Make love to me," Becka whispered against his lips. "Right now."

Two started kissing heavily as he led her to an open spot of the barn, letting his swimming trunks fall to the ground, kicking them away. They landed at the feet of Jason, who watched them through the eyes of his hockey mask, his machete patiently waiting for the right moment...

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	3. Chapter 3

Not knowing they were being watched, Joe and Becka made passionate love on the floor of the barn, not caring who heard their moans of pleasure. After several minutes, the two rested on the blanket they'd layed out on the floor.

"I love you," Joe told her as he tried to catch his breath. "Do you wanna get married? I mean, like someday after college?"

"Are you serious?" Becka asked.

"Why not?" Joe asked as he stared into her eyes. "We've been together for a while now and... I kind of want to start a family with you someday. Think about it. After college, we'll have good jobs and a great future ahead of us. Why not start there?"

"Okay, let's do it," Becka told him. "I guess we're pre-engaged."

"Why don't I go get us a few beers from the cooler and that extra blanket and we can watch the sunset?" Joe said. "The perfect end to the perfect day."

"That sounds perfect," Becka told him as they kissed. "I'll be waiting."

Joe stood up as he grabbed his swim trunks before heading toward the porch. As Becka lay back down, someone grabbed the extra blanket by the door. Seconds later, a creaking was heard from inside the barn as Becka sat back up.

"That was fast," Becka smiled. "Where's that blanket, I'm getting chilly."

Becka quickly found the blanket tightly wrapped around her neck as Jason dragged her across the floor, struggling to breathe while Jason made the blanket's grip tighter and tighter before her neck finally snapped.

* * *

Joe grabbed a few beers from the cooler on the porch as Grady watched him.

"You up for a barbeque later tonight?" Grady asked. "We're gonna start grilling around 9."

"Sounds good, bro," Joe told him. "See you after I spend some more quality time with my girl. She's hanging out in the barn, waiting for me."

"Please clean up any... fluids you spill," Grady sighed. "I don't feel right having Will do that."

"You inviting him to the cookout?"

"Yeah, Max seems to like him," Grady told him. "I think he's going to be the one to get Max to enjoy this trip."

* * *

The kiss between Max and Will started getting more intense just as Max pulled away.

"I- I can't," Max said as he stood up. "I'm sorry, this just... I can't do this."

"Max, I- I really like you," Will told him. "I can't force you to go on, but... it kind of felt like you enjoyed it, too."

"I really did," Max told him as he ran a hand through his hair "And I really like you, too, but I'm... kind of a basket case. I'm not good for you."

"Yeah, and I'm the pinnacle of mental health," Will said. "It's not like we're dating or something more serious. I just want to get to know you more. Maybe get you to come out of that shell."

"I think I'm good in my shell," Max said as he put his hat back on. "It's not like-"

"Your hat," Will realized. "It changed colors."

"What? That's ridic-" Max said as he looked in a mirror. The hat looked brand new as it sat upon his head. "How the hell did that happen?"

* * *

Joe returned to the barn with the beers and the blanket, not seeing Becka anywhere.

"Where'd you go?" Joe asked as he walked around. He heard a creaking noise from the hayloft and smirked. "I'll bet you want a better view of the sun setting. Okay, if that's what my baby wants."

Joe started climbing the ladder while Jason grabbed a nearby chainsaw. Once Joe got the loft he looked at the closed window but didn't see Becka. "Okay, stop playing around. These beers are getting warm and I'm getting chilly. I need my baby to hold onto for warmth."

Hearing a noise, Joe turned around just as Jason revved the chainsaw. Before he could do anything, the chainsaw was rammed straight into his groin. Blood started flowing as the young man started spitting up blood while shaking violently. Jason pulled the chainsaw away and with one powerful upward swing, sawed the young man vertically in half. After a few seconds, Joe's right half crumpled to the floor as his left half fell backward.

* * *

Max came downstairs, finding Grady pulling out the barbeque.

"Grady, something weird is going on."

"I'll say, Joe and Becka are in the barn and there's been insane screaming. I think they managed to turn a chainsaw into a sex toy," Grady told him. "Did you get a new hat?"

"No, it's the same hat," Max said. "It just... changed while I was making out wi- while I was just sitting there."

"Uh-huh," Grady smiled. "Well, I invited Will to the barbeque tonight. Do we have something to celebrate, buddy?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Max said as he turned away.

"You like this guy, I can tell. I know you better than anyone," Grady said as he grabbed a bag of charcoal. "If this is what it takes for you to finally smile again, then go for it. I'm proud of you, Max, and I know your dad would be, too."

"My Dad wouldn't be proud just because I kissed someone," Max told him. "I'm still a scared loser, Grady. Nothing's going to change that.

* * *

Somewhere on the open road, headed toward New Jersey, a man in his early thirties drove as fast as he could down the backroads as the boy from the diner in Max's dream stared out the window.

"What are the odds we can stop this freak if he's roaming around?"

The driver just kept his eyes on the road.

"I've stopped him twice before, I can do it again. We just need to get to Max and hope he can hold his own until we get there."

A cellphone started ringing as the teenager picked up. "Hello?"

"What the fuck!?" a young boy's voice asked. "You left us alone here with a God damn Leprechaun on the loose?"

"Sorry, bro, but we had to get to Crystal Lake. Jason's awake and we have a chance to put him down. Besides, I'm pretty sure the Leprechaun's dead. There's never more than one in the same territory according to the lore. If there were, all hell would be breaking loose. The second you find the guy we're looking for, head to New Jersey, and meet up with us."

"What about Chucky?"

"Kick the little fucker to the curb like you've done the last few times you ran across him. We'll meet up with you soon," the teenager hung up as he looked at the driver. "The precocious member of our group says 'hi.'"

* * *

Will stood in the shower, getting ready for the barbeque and wanted to look his best for Max. Downstairs, a shadowy figured passed by the window...

* * *

Grady had started the barbeque under the moonlight as Max sat on the steps of the back porch. He had a beer in his hand that he was slowly nursing as Beverly came outside. "Will still hasn't shown up?"

"It's only 8:30, I'm sure he'll show up soon," Max told her. "On the other hand, maybe he's mad at me for not wanting to get closer to him."

"You can't push everyone away forever," Beverly told him. "Go talk to him. Burgers will be ready by the time you get back."

"Thanks, Bev," Max said as he stood up. "I'll be right back."

As soon as Max had left, Beverly walked up behind Grady, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Those burgers sure do smell good."

"Well, I am an expert griller," Grady said as he kissed her. "Max went to get Will, but where are the lovebirds? I haven't seen them since the afternoon."

"Maybe they wore each other out and fell asleep in the barn," Beverly told him. "I'll go wake them up."

The two quickly kissed as she headed to the barn, finding it was empty. "They probably headed back to the house."

If Beverly had looked up, she'd have noticed Joe's bloodied hand hanging from the loft.

* * *

Grady continued to stand in front of the barbeque, flipping burgers while he drank a beer.

"These burgers are going to be the best I've ever made," Grady told him. "I think I've really outdone myself this time."

The sound of a twig snapping caught Grady's attention as he turned his head, just in time for Jason to grab him by his hair. Before he could react, Jason slammed Grady's head down onto the grill, holding it there as Grady screamed in pain while the flames started to rise under his head

* * *

Max knocked on Will's door, waiting for him to answer. After about a minute, Max just sighed.

"Will, I'm sorry!" Max shouted. "I'll- I'll go out on a date with you. I really like you, alright? Like everything else, I'm just scared. Just come to the barbeque with me so we can talk."

Max leaned against the door and closed his eyes. "Please, just say something."

* * *

Beverly came through the front door of the house. "Joe? Becka? Where are you? The barbeque's starting!"

She headed upstairs, looking at each bedroom, and not finding anything. After searching Joe and Becka's room, she thought she'd seen something in the shadows of Max's room. Going in to inspect it closer, she found that a coat rack had fallen over.

"Maybe Joe and Becka just found a new place to have sex," Beverly said as she stood up with Jason standing behind her. She screamed as Jason reached for her, but instinctively knocked his arm away and started running. "Grady! Max!"

She ran out of the bedroom and down the hall but tripped and rolled onto her back only to see Jason walking toward her. As he was about to grab her leg, Beverly kicked in the face as hard as she could, sending him reeling and giving the young woman time to get up and run downstairs.

"Grady!" Beverly yelled as she ran through the kitchen and opened the door to the backyard, finding Becka's corpse pinned to the door by her neck with a large knife. Beverly screamed as she stumbled back into Jason. "You son of a bitch!"

Beverly unloaded everything she had into fighting Jason, punching and kicking at him with everything she had for well over a minute until she had become too tired to continue. Her knuckles were bleeding, but Jason hadn't even been phased by her assault.

"Who- who are you?" Beverly asked.

* * *

Max returned alone to the backyard, seeing smoke rising from the grill.

"Hey, Grady, the burgers are burning!" Max shouted as he passed by a backward lawn chair where Joe was seemingly sitting. "Grill Master my ass, the food's going to be charred."

Grabbing the spatula, Max lifted the grill and reeled back in horror upon seeing Grady's severed and charred head sitting on the grill. "No. NO!"

Max backed into the lawn chair and ran to the front of it. "JOE! What the fuck is going on! Joe!" Max shook his shoulder, only for half of his body to pull away from the rest with his remaining organs hanging out. Feeling like he was going to be sick, Max noticed the open door with Becka stuck to it.

"Oh my God. What the hell is happening? Beverly!"

Which was when Beverly's body came crashing through the glass window and landing in the yard. Max quickly ran to her, checking her pulse. "No, not you, too. Who's doing this!?"

Jason suddenly appeared in the doorway, machete in hand. Max slowly stood up, taking a deep gulp.

"It's you."

Jason started marching toward him as Max tripped over the half of Joe's corpse that had fallen to the ground. Landing on his stomach, Max tried to stand up as a hand grabbed his shoulder.

**TO BE CONCLUDED...**


	4. Chapter 4

"This isn't happening, this isn't real," Max said to himself after tripping over half of Joe's dismembered body and landing on his stomach. "This is a nightmare, I'm just dreaming. My friends are alive and partying, I just have to wake up."

A hand grabbed his shoulder as Max instantly started to fight back before realizing it was Will who had grabbed him.

"Max, Max! It's me!" Will shouted as he faced Max. "We gotta go!"

Taking Max's hand, the two raced around the house toward the front yard to where Grady's old dinosaur of a car was, only for the two to find that it had been totaled. The tires were slashed, the windows broken and the lights smashed.

"Someone did the same thing to my truck," Will said. "I think it was that guy in the hockey mask."

"He killed everyone!" Max shouted, his voice breaking. "He cut off Grady's head and put it on the grill!"

"I saw some of the carnage when I came to find you," Will said. "I think that's the killer that haunts this place, or maybe a copycat, I don't know! But we have to go, now!"

"Where?" Max asked. "Your truck and Grady's car are totaled, and there's no one for miles around!"

"We'll call the cops and hide," Will told him. "Come on!"

The two rushed toward Will's house, not seeing Jason anywhere in sight as they ran.

"Where do you think he is?" Max asked.

"He might be following us, he probably knows this place better than anyone," Will told him as they got through his front door. "Block the doors! I'll call 911."

Max started moving a cabinet in front of the door as Will picked up the phone, only to find the line was dead.

"He must have cut the phone line, do you have a cellphone?"

"Who would call me?" Max asked him. "Grady was my only real friend, so I never bothered with a cell phone."

"Great," Will told him. "Trapped with a serial killer after us, what else could go wrong? Fuck, I'm sorry, Max, you just lost some people you really care about. I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay," Max said. "He didn't get all the people I care about. There's still you, and I don't plan on-"

Jason smashed through the window, grabbing Will from behind.

"Let him go!" Max shouted as he grabbed a fire poker. He rammed it into Jason's eye as hard as he could. It had been enough to get Will out of Jason's grip, but not enough to stop him from continuing to climb through the window. "Okay, if this hat has powers, now would be a very good time for them to help! Come on, you stupid hat!"

"Max, this is so not a good time," Will said as he grabbed Max's hand. "Let's get the hell out of-"

Jason's machete came down, cutting Will's arm off halfway toward the elbow. Blood started squirting as Will held up his bloody stump and started screaming.

"You son of a bitch!" Max shouted as he went to strike Jason with another fire poker, but Jason backhanded him hard enough to send Max flying across the room. He hit the wall and crumpled to the ground.

Jason looked down at Will, who only closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Max."

Max, now in a lot of pain and suffering from a few broken ribs, tried to lift himself up just in time to see Jason's machete go through Will's body, sending blood spraying onto the floor.

"No." Max cried as the last of his strength had become spent. He fell to the floor, no longer having the energy or the will, to try to get up, which is when Jason turned his attention to the teenager.

* * *

"Max. Come on, buddy, you have to get up."

10-year-old Max sat up in his bed, feeling his body to make sure this was real.

"This isn't right," Max whispered to himself as his father walked through the door. "Dad? But- but you died. It's been seven years."

"Max, you can't let it end like this," the man told him. "You're capable of so many great things, I know you can fight this."

"Grady's dead," Max told him. "And Joe, and Becka and Bev. He killed them, Dad. He killed Will and I couldn't save him. I think Will was-"

"I know what he meant to you," his father said as he hugged Max. "I'm so proud of you, Max. Even without your powers, you did great things."

"I almost drowned," Max told him. "I gave up on everything. I couldn't even admit to myself that I was gay. How are you proud of me?"

"Because you're my son, that's all the reason I need," the man told him as he pulled out the hat and put it on Max's head. "This hat isn't the source of your powers. You are. The hat's just a conduit to focus them. The power's in you, Max. Use it to help others, to beat monsters like Jason Voorhees. You'll know what to do, but you can't give up, otherwise, many more people are going to die."

"Why did you have to leave me?" Max asked. "You could have helped me."

"Everything happens for a purpose," the man told him as he kissed Max's forehead. "And you have to find yours. But you have to start fighting. I love you, Max."

"I love you, too, Dad," Max told him as he wiped the tears away. "Will I ever see you again?"

The man just smiled as a white light filled the room.

* * *

Jason pushed Will's body off of his machete, not realizing that Max had started to get up across the room. His body was still in intense pain from his broken ribs, but Max knew now what he had to do.

"Hey, asshole!" Max said as Jason turned his attention toward the sole surviving teenager. "You killed my brother, my friends, and the guy I wanted to go out with. Now I'm going to kick your ass!"

Jason just tilted his head quizzically as Max ran toward him as his hat started glowing. He jumped at Jason, tackling him into a portal that had opened behind the masked killer

* * *

"Did it work?" the older man asked as the teenager in the passenger seat opened his eyes. "Did you get through to Max?"

"Dude's got serious emotional issues to work through, but yeah, I think imitating his dad gave him that extra push," the boy told him. "The rest is up to Max now. I just wish we could have saved his friends. Even if we do get this guy on board, he's gonna be really messed up for a while."

"I know," the man said as he focused on the road. "It sucks losing loved ones, but it's all part of the job. Like my mom or your parents. All we can is try to save as many people as we can and hope we're not too late. We'll be at Crystal Lake in 30 minutes, get some rest in the meantime. You're going to need it."

* * *

A portal opened in the ceiling of a cabin on the other side of the lake as Max fell through, using Jason as a landing pad as he hit the floor. Max kicked him before rolling off and grabbing a large broken bedpost and using it as a bat to hit Jason with until it broke into pieces after several hits.

"Ah, I see you've taken wood to the face before," Max said as Jason swung his machete. Max ducked and dived, grabbing Jason's legs as another portal opened underneath them. "Alright, let's see where this takes us."

Jason fell through the portal with Max along for the ride with the portal closing after they were gone.

A portal opened high over the Earth as Jason found himself plummeting toward the ground miles below. Max fell alongside him, smirking as he flipped Jason off with both hands.

"Should have packed a parachute, bitch!" Max shouted as the portal opened under him. Max fell through as he landed safely on the ground below. He stood up and watched Jason hit the ground with a devastating impact, causing a small crater where he landed. "That looks like it hurt."

Jason started standing up moments later with the machete in his hand.

"Well... fuck." Max said as he focused the power of the cap again to open another portal.

Having tossed Jason in front of a moving train, throwing him off of a mountain, blowing him up in a building slated for demolition and putting him into a car compactor in the junkyard, Max was starting to run out of ideas.

* * *

L.A.

"And why should I trust you?" teenager Cody Ingalls asked the mop-headed brunette haired boy that stood in front of him. "Why should I trust anyone?"

"No one's asking you to trust us," a man said as he stood nearby. He had shortcut black hair and wore a trenchcoat. "What we are asking is if you want to help us take down the kinds of monsters that just fucked up your life."

As they stood in the alley, a portal opened as Jason fell through, landing on the ground. He immediately stood up and looked around for Max.

"Uh... maybe we should take this conversation elsewhere," the mop-headed boy told them. "Like far away. Shit like this happens and I kind of want to be far away."

"Hey, asshole, looking for me?" Max asked as he sat upon the building's ledge, his legs dangling over the side, just as a portal opened over Jason and a large dumpster started falling out. "GARBAGE DAY!"

The dumpster fell right on top of Jason, crumpling the killer underneath. Within moments, Max had come down from the roof, slowly approaching the dumpster. Before he got too close, the dumpster started creaking as Jason cut his way out of it.

"Oh, come on!" Max shouted. "What do I have to do, drop you into a live volcano? Trust me, I would if I knew where to find one. Nothing I'm tossing at this creep is slowing him down!"

Jason grabbed Max around the neck, lifting him up into the air. Struggling to breathe, Max focused as another portal opened under them, dropping both into it before the portal closed

* * *

Max and Jason both hit the waters of Camp Crystal Lake, now both being far from shore. It took a few seconds for Max to get used to being in the water again as he started treading.

"This isn't good," Max said as he looked around, not seeing Jason anywhere around. Max felt something grab his leg and pull him down into the water as he tried to break free. Jason slowly pulled Max toward him with a machete raised. Pulling his foot out of his shoe, Max kicked Jason in the face with his other foot as he tried to swim, but Jason's machete stabbed him through the leg.

Max screamed in pain, with only air bubbles escaping his mouth as his blood started tainting the water. Letting his machete go, which was now embedded in Max's leg, Jason pulled him back, in the process Max's cap floated off of his head, rising toward the surface.

Unable to reach it, Jason started strangling Max to finish the last victim of this murder spree. Not knowing what to do, Max reached down and pulled the machete out of his leg, pushing the blade through Jason's neck and forcing it out the other side. Blood started pouring out, making the water murky as Max finally forced himself of out of Jason's grip.

Bursting through the surface of the water, Max gasped for air as he started treading water. After a few seconds, it started to sink in that he was in the middle of a lake with no boat and no cap to take him to shore.

"I'm going to die out here," Max said as Jason burst through the surface of the water in front of him. As he reached for Max, he grabbed the machete still stuck in Jason's throat and yanked it to the side, causing Jason's head to fall forward, only being attached now by the barest thread. Jason's body fell forward as Max tried to swim backward, watching Jason's body sink in the water.

* * *

Hours later, Max had found a piece of driftwood to latch onto, having fallen asleep. As he floated in the water, waiting for death, the hum of a small motorboat came from a distance. Soon it had reached Max's location, where the two young men on the boat pulled him in.

"Is this him, Jacob?" Tommy Jarvis asked as he saw the wound on Max's leg. "Is this the guy?"

"Yeah, it's him," Jacob Johnson told him as he held Max's cap in his hands, having fished it out of the water an hour ago. "He's our guy."

"Then let's get him home and patch him up," Tommy told him. "I think this war just turned in our favor."

The boat turned back toward shore with the unconscious Max finally being able to dream peacefully for once.

* * *

Deep within the Earth in a hellish landscape, a large shadowy figure sat on a throne made of bones. His fingers impatiently tapped the arm of his throne while one of his minions, a small lava creature, headed toward him.

"Master, the boy's powers, he's found a way to activate them!"

"I am well aware of this," the creature on the throne said in a calm tone. "The boy's powers were never supposed to come to the surface. That's why I had his father killed. That's why we arranged for his... little swimming accident. Tell me, where did his newfound confidence come from?"

"I believe he fell in love." the figure on the throne stood up and stepped on the smaller creature, killing it instantly.

"LOVE!?" the figure said angrily. "Well, then, we'd better make sure that something like this never happens again. I had hoped to toy with the cap bearer through the years, breaking him down slowly until there was nothing left but a crying mess. But now I'm thinking I have to speed up my plans to escape this place. The cap bearer will die by my hand and the cosmic key will be mine to wield. Then the world will die by the hand of Skullmaster!"

**NEXT: THE GATHERING**


End file.
